WhenShouldOneStartOrthodonticTreatment?

The treatment will progress much easier and faster if parents do not delay their children’s orthodontic treatment and get it done in growth and development stage. Besides, the price of orthodontic treatment would also be more feasible.

Orthodontic examination includes the extensive examination of the jaw, the face and the teeth of a child or an adult. As a result of this examination, it is understood if your child visited the orthodontist at the right time or not in terms of the effect of the treatment. Usually, orthodontic examinations may not be included during your child’s regular dental check-ups (decays, flour application or anti-decay treatments). So, before the child enters puberty, while there are both milk and permanent teeth, whether there are other permanent teeth or not, the positions of the teeth and bite occlusion must be examined by the orthodontist.

In other words, it is very important that every child that is at around the age of 6 and 7 be examined by an orthodontist even with the intent of examination.

If you have observed the following situations in your child:

If the lower or upper jaw is located far too back or forward, if cross bite is observed, if there is an excessive crowding of the teeth, if your child has the habit of mouth breathing or thumbsucking, you must certainly get your child examined by an orthodontist.

Children who have upper teeth projecting forward (buck tooth) must certainly be brought to an orthodontist before the ages of 9-10. The risk of these projecting teeth’s being broken, fractured or displacement is very high during playing games or doing sports (these teeth are vulnerable because they are not supported by the lower teeth). In these cases, the treatment may start earlier than the normal age. Also, your orthodontist would determine the time.

Orthodontic treatment with removable appliances, is usually used during the period in which both the milk and permanent teeth are present between the ages of 7 and 12. Fixed orthodontic treatment, in other words the braces that are attached to the teeth surface, is the treatment which is performed after all the milk teeth fall out and all the permanent teeth emerged in the mouth (at around the age of 12).

Only removable orthodontic appliance treatment or only fixed brace treatment or first removable orthodontic appliance treatment and then fixed brace treatment can be done regarding the child’s age, orthodontic problem and tooth eruption. There can be a control period only with the purpose of keeping track of the development of the teeth without any treatments among removable orthodonitc appliance treatment and fixed orthodontic treatment.

However, if the child is brought to the orthodontist at the age of 12 and if the permanent dentition period is almost over, you can start fixed orthodontic treatment without removable appliance treatment.

Sometimes, your orthodontist may have detected a problem at an early stage but it does not mean that you must start a treatment immediately. Your orthodontist may call you for short examinations only to keep track of the tooth development within a period of 3,4 or 6 months. Thus, tooth development of your child is under control. The most proper time for your child’s orthodontic treatment will be chosen and the time to start the orthodontic treatment will be easily appointed.

Even if they are siblings,the children’s period of growing tall or their foot size are not the same. So, do not compare your child’s orthodontic treatment wih anyone else. The aparatus he will use, and the age to start the treatment and the time period of the treatment will be completely unique to him.